GT-Roadster: Race

Nopro has upped the spec of their car to MZR-L5 2.5Litre with high comp pistons.

clocked a 1'04"242 on the day. Very fast for an NC. S-tyres are now fitted also.

Once settings are perfected this will be even quicker.

Running on Rays CE28NF with Direzza O3g. It's all fun.

TGRacing TRAQMATE from Vimeo.

For anyone who thinks they are a good driver, you NEED something like traqmate. Our friend Richard from http://www.traqmate.jp/ in Japan set up the Traqmate system for TG-Racing to use in their prelude. It has some cool features like G-Sensors, car information pickups and most importantly video.

This video shows a theoretical best lap of me at Japan's Ebisu Circuit in the TG-R Prelude.

First thing I have to work on is steering hand position and learn to be more confident and consistent. I had over 1.5hours of footage to check. It really opens your eyes.

Russ.

Thanks to my friend, I got a couple of extra patches for my suit.

First Sunako Juku, they don't make these any more. Pro Super GT and Super Taikyu driver Sunako-san's race school patch.
Skip Barber. If you don't know Skip Barber's driving schools and you're a roadster fan, then you need to look into it. Best graduates in America go straight into the Mazda Roadster one make race, then mazda open wheel, then grandam etc. If you're good enough.

The other two have some meaning also.

Small Yokohama from Aki links well to the rear.
large Yokohama ADVAN patch I got from Sunako-san directly after last year's Ebisu Race.

These all match well with my current TG-R helmet design. Red and White is the theme.

BTW... I HATE SEWING!

Russ.

Well, what can I do while I wait for clutch repairs. Go RACING!

Last year, shortly after I got my roadster, I joined the last Sunako Juku race school with a bunch of friends and we learned some techniques from Sunako-san, who was a Super GT GT-R driver. Later that year I covered the Ebisu 12hr race that other members of Sunako Juku attended in a Civic with him.

This year, my friends invited me to join an 8 driver team attacking the Ebisu Super Endurance race series in their own car. This was a lot of preparation and hard work with fun thrown in for good measure. It takes a real team effort to get a car through 12hours.

Our N-spec BB6 prelude finished 4th in class. But more importantly finished it's first outing on the track and proved itself as a real race car, with great balance and some good speed.

It was a great experience. I hope I can get to the track a little more. but as cash has run dry, I will have to make some tough decisions soon.

You can see a lot more of my coverage on the TGRacing Datalog.

Russ.

Playboy MX5 Cup is the US based series.

2008 USA MX5 Cup is available on Youtube. Its a good way to get up to speed with teams and drivers. There is a playlist made so Check it out. dont forget HD

As for 2009. All cars are updated to the new shell. Looks good.

Top pic was winner of Race 1 - Miller. Check MER team

Below pic is winner of race 2- Lamb.

Check out the forums too.

Russ.

Ebisu circuit was host to an endurance race. 12 hours of racing is a tough ask.

Brightning entered a single car but tested two on the day prior to the main event. Their demo car is a nice piece of work.

But it remains relatively standard in engine tune. Center exit exhaust is a feature that sounds great.

Body enhancements are garage vary front dam and headlights for a nasty appearance. Cage and interior mods for race functionality are cool and work well.

The race car is actually this Silver NCEC with Mazdaspeed aero. Enkei GT-C wheels with Neova radials handle the endurance race and work well in wet and dry.

A very nice looking machine. Testing with the top down in the sun. But the race would be a very wet affair.

The race morning saw qualifying start in semi wet conditions.

Air vent for the drivers. May be a rain hose.

Ready for the race.

Pit scene shows some of the main rivals.

Race start and the Roadster pics its way through the pack.

Levin in the background was the eventual overall race winner.

Fog descended on the circuit and stopped the race for an hour. All drivers got a bit of a rest.

Then the rain came. Many safety car laps were observed but racing continued, and so did the NC.

9am ~ 9pm in all conditions. The Brightning NC Roadster fought hard. Climbing up the ladder.

As night rolled in and 400 odd laps passed. The Roadster finished in 2nd outright. 1st in N Class. A pretty gutsy effort.

Congratulations.

Russ.

Ebisu Circuit Endurance Series

Brightning Web Site

Brightning NC Roadster Parts

Congrats to Thomas and Tweety!

Winner of the Clubman I class in the Japan based NR-A Party Race. D-Technique prepares the tweety roadster and got a tripple victory in Clubman I, II and RX8 NR-A Classes.

Tstarted from pole and pulled an 8 second gap over the 10 lap race. Nice driving!

Looks like the lessons we learned at Sunako's school payed off.

Results are here. Not bad. Pole with a low 1:11 and repeated a mid 1:11 in the race.

My RHT doesn't qualify But I may do the circuit trial next time at Tsukuba.

Russ.